Rebecca Mackenzie spent her childhood in Thailand, Malaysia and India. She has MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She lives in London. IN A LAND OF PAPER GODS is her first novel.
Set in a missionary school in China... carries echoes of Empire of the Sun and The Poisonwood Bible — Observer (2016 Highlights)
Infused with a delicate, melancholy note of nostalgia, Mackenzie's depiction of a bygone world is vividly realised — Independent
Such a wonderful voice, very funny and hugely moving — Anna James @ The Bookseller
An evocative and involving novel with a wonderful setting — Woman & Home
A richly imagined novel that cleverly intertwines two cultures — Daily Mail
Mackenzie is a self-assured, poetic storyteller... This is a wonderful, special book. I inhaled it — Red
If you like your novels lyrical but pacy, look out for this beautiful debut — Elle
An imaginative and touching debut — Good Housekeeping
A soaring work of the imagination... a beautifully written book, powerfully moving but surprisingly funny, too — Herald
Rebecca Mackenzie's vigorous prose is original and highly evocative. The untameable beauty of China's Lushan mountain and the dangers that lie beyond are echoed in the dramatic landscapes that Etta must navigate within herself. Her fate will linger in your thoughts long after the story ends — Claire King, author of THE NIGHT RAINBOW
Really enjoyed IN A LAND OF PAPER GODS - a dreamlike tale, like a cross between Picnic at Hanging Rock and Empire of the Sun... lovely prose and a great setting — Stav Sherez
A beautifully poignant book... a story full of adolescent verve, young girls coming of age as the world around them falls apart, that remains somehow delightful, both playful and tender, as it breaks your heart. I loved it. — Lindsay Hawdon, author of JAKOB'S COLOURS
Henrietta S. Robertson is a beguiling, wilful and wonderfully realised creation, whose humour, imagination and yearning will captivate readers... this is a wonderful debut — Jackie Copleton, author of A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
This coming of age tale with a loveable protagonist, set in a fascinating time and a beautiful location is a breath-taking debut and one that will definitely capture many hearts, as it did my own — The Tattoed Book
Its pleasures come in discovering Etta's character, seeing her grow, and the atmosphere of melancholy and loss that infuses the book — Emerald Street
[A] beautifully imagined novel, at times whimsical and at others harrowing — Sunday Express S Magazine
An intriguing, well told story, beautifully descriptive of the China of that period — Choice
A beautifully conjured debut — Sainsbury’s Magazine
A beautifully written coming of age story — Red - Books of 2016
Set in a missionary school in China... carries echoes of Empire of the Sun and The Poisonwood Bible
Infused with a delicate, melancholy note of nostalgia, Mackenzie's depiction of a bygone world is vividly realised
Such a wonderful voice, very funny and hugely moving
An evocative and involving novel with a wonderful setting
A richly imagined novel that cleverly intertwines two cultures
Mackenzie is a self-assured, poetic storyteller... This is a wonderful, special book. I inhaled it
If you like your novels lyrical but pacy, look out for this beautiful debut
An imaginative and touching debut
A soaring work of the imagination... a beautifully written book, powerfully moving but surprisingly funny, too
Rebecca Mackenzie's vigorous prose is original and highly evocative. The untameable beauty of China's Lushan mountain and the dangers that lie beyond are echoed in the dramatic landscapes that Etta must navigate within herself. Her fate will linger in your thoughts long after the story ends
Really enjoyed IN A LAND OF PAPER GODS - a dreamlike tale, like a cross between Picnic at Hanging Rock and Empire of the Sun... lovely prose and a great setting
A beautifully poignant book... a story full of adolescent verve, young girls coming of age as the world around them falls apart, that remains somehow delightful, both playful and tender, as it breaks your heart. I loved it.
Henrietta S. Robertson is a beguiling, wilful and wonderfully realised creation, whose humour, imagination and yearning will captivate readers... this is a wonderful debut
This coming of age tale with a loveable protagonist, set in a fascinating time and a beautiful location is a breath-taking debut and one that will definitely capture many hearts, as it did my own
Its pleasures come in discovering Etta's character, seeing her grow, and the atmosphere of melancholy and loss that infuses the book
[A] beautifully imagined novel, at times whimsical and at others harrowing
An intriguing, well told story, beautifully descriptive of the China of that period
A beautifully conjured debut
A beautifully written coming of age story